Seth and Kat’s 4 Things To Know-August 18th

1.

Brazilian police stopped three U.S. Olympic swimmers from boarding a flight home yesterday to question them about inconsistencies in their stories about being robbed at gunpoint in Rio. Their passports have been seized and federal police also want to question gold medalist Ryan Lochte, but he had already returned to the United States. Records retrieved by investigators from an x-ray machine the athletes passed through at the village showed that they were carrying all the belongings they had claimed to police had been stolen. But Lochte’s lawyer said he told the truth and has nothing to hide.

Officials are now saying Ryan Lochte and three of his U.S. Olympic swimming teammates fabricated their story about being robbed at gunpoint. Video shows a U.S. swimmer “breaking down” a bathroom door and “fighting” security at a gas station around the time the robbery allegedly occurred, per ABC News.

2.

Blake Shelton is apologizing for some past tweets that some say are homophobic and racist. In a message posted to social media, he said, “Everyone knows comedy has been a major part of my career and it’s always been out there for anyone to see. That said anyone that knows me also knows I have no tolerance of hate of any kind or form. Can my humor at times be inappropriate and immature? Yes. Hateful? Never. That said I deeply apologize to anybody who may have been offended.” The tweets in question date back to 2009 and have since been deleted.

3.

Harry Potter isn’t done just yet… J.K. Rowling announced on her Pottermore website yesterday that she will release three new stories involving the characters from her Harry Potter series. The e-books will be available beginning September 6, with each short story exploring a “different Hogwarts-related theme.” While Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide will offer a deeper look into the “nooks and crannies” of the wizarding school, Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Political and Pesky Poltergeists will dive into the “darker side of the wizarding world,” including horror stories from Azkaban prison. The third book will be titled Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies and focus on the Hogwarts staff.

4.

The days of having to swallow horse pills or down gross-tasting cough syrups are now behind us. If you want to get rid of your cold or flu symptoms you now have another option as long as you have access to a Keurig machine. That’s because CVS has created cold and flu beverage pods. The pharmacy says that each cup is fulled with a dose of cold medications like acetaminophen (a fever reducer) and nasal decongestant, and they’re designed to taste more like tea than medicine. The daytime pod is berry and green-tea flavored, while the nightime one is lemon, honey, and white-tea flavored. The beverage pods are available now at CVS stores across the country.